About the Author: Hi there! My name is Katelyn Barok, but in the hiking world people call me “Rogue.” I am born and raised in New Jersey. I am a Special Education Teacher by trade with a passion for hiking, which explains the name “teacher gone Rogue.” My current goal is to section hike the entire Appalachian Trail on extended weekends, Winter/ Spring Breaks, and my summer break! Follow my adventures in their entirety on roguehikesthetrail.com. Instagram: @katie_barok.
Click on Katie’s name above to see all of her posts!
Day 11: ME-15 (stealth spot) past Horseshoe Lean-To, 12 miles
We were lucky enough to get breakfast twice at Shaw’s and I was even able to pack out some pancakes. Charlie, Wild Card, and Slick Rock were able to get back on trail a little after 10.
Beforehand we made plans for Top and Goat to meet us along the way or in Carrtunk.
It was a sad feeling leaving Shaw’s and getting back on trail. Poet dropped us off and left us with some words of encouragement, even calling us his trail kids now.
We had planned an easy 9 mile hike out but ended up going a little further than expected. We crossed several rivers and took an easy/relaxing day with many breaks. Charlie had hoped Top, another hiker, would meet with us if he didn’t get stuck in town. He eventually found us around 8PM.
Needless to say, we were not well rested after spending some time in town. I couldn’t help but talk and interact with the other hikers and was so afraid of missing out that I never stopped to slow down or even catch up on some sleep. Zero regrets.
Day 12: Stealth Spot to Mt. Pleasant Lean-To, 19ish miles
We packed up and headed out pretty early around 5:30. We figured if we could do more miles today, we could Nearo into town at Caratunk House.
The day started rough for me. Mentally, I was In my own head and exhausted from lack of sleep. I enjoyed my time at Shaw’s but also realized I was worn out from being around so many people. I was too busy being a social butterfly to stop and relax at Shaw’s. Zero regrets but just something to be mindful of moving forward and not getting stuck in the vortex. I quickly was able to walk off my troubles and enjoy the day.
Climbing up and over Bald Mountain wasn’t bad. Slick Rock, Wild Card, and I took a break up at the top to enjoy the view and soak up the sun. We had to decide whether we wanted to stealth camp or push to go up and over Mt. Pleasant.
Given it was only around 2 when we reached the base of Mt. Pleasant we decided to go for it. This climb was rough. You thought you had reached the top only to find out it was a false summit. Once I finally reached it and realized it was only 1.4 to camp, I pushed forward.
I set up my tent and headed down to Pleasant Pond to swim. It made the climb totally worth it to cool down and eat dinner on the dock. I slept pretty well that night eager to get into town the next day.
Day 13: Mt. Pleasant Lean-To to Caratunk House B&B
I woke up around 5:30 which was late for me and packed up quickly to make it to town. I wasn’t even too sore. A great piece of advice a NoBo gave me was try for the bigger miles and see how you feel the next day. If you don’t feel good, you’re not ready for it. If you do feel good, you can handle the miles. Don’t be afraid to do bigger miles.
We decided to celebrate the 4th in town. It was nice reaching Caratunk a little after 9 to shower, do laundry, clean my pot and resupply. I enjoyed the slow paced atmosphere and the milkshake! I headed to North Outdoors to meet my friends and hang out.
